Nov. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Yemeni tribesmen kidnapped a Japanese aid expert near the capital Sana’a today to put pressure on authorities to release a jailed fellow clan member, a police official said.

The hostage works for the Japan International Cooperation Agency and was visiting a school under construction in Arhab district, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Sana’a, when he was kidnapped, the official said.

Negotiations are under way to secure the release of the hostage, the official, who asked not to be identified, said. The kidnappers are tribesmen who are demanding the release of a member of their clan who is in police custody. The official declined to give other details.

Abducting foreigners is a common practice in poor areas of Yemen, where tribesmen have used foreign hostages as bargaining chips for jailed relatives in the past.

To contact the reporter on this story: Khaled Abdullah in Sana’a via the Dubai newsroom at mideastnews@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 16, 2009 11:50 EST